Pitch Black
by Chat-leena
Summary: One Shot : Regina hides Henry after being cursed, and Emma comes to help her come back to her senses. But magic has to be paid, one way or another.


'What have you done to Henry, Regina? Where is he?'

'I did what I should have done a long time ago. Henry will be mine forever now.'

Regina grins coldly at the woman she's facing. She's as Queen-like as possible, standing straight and proud, while Emma Swan is settled in a defensive stance, ready to jump if attacked.

'You're not taking him from me Miss Swan, not now, not ever. No one will take him from me.'

'What happened to you?' Emma flashes her usual puppy-eyes but, at that moment, it has for sole effect to infuriate Regina even more.

'Can't I just be fed up with your Charming phlegm?'

'Don't do this, Regina. We were finally doing this together...'

The Queen smirks. A cruel and cold smirk that Emma had only seen once: that days she'd met Regina 'the Evil Queen' Mills in the Enchanted Forest. The blond shivers at the memory. But something is not quite the same. Instead of the fire set by revenge, it is the ice of pure cruelty that's glistening in her eyes.

Out of the blue, Regina summons a fireball and throws it at the Saviour. _Ha, the Saviour_. The Queen laughs at that thought and Emma ducks right in time.

'You're out of your mind!' she yells, getting back to her feet.

'Having a hard time catching up, Saviour?'

Emma grunts but doesn't answer. The other woman laughs again.

'You're never going to find him. He's mine! Do you hear me!?' she barks.

'Henry is no one's to possess, he's not a thing! He needs us both!'

'Oh don't lecture me, Miss Swan. You abandoned him.' the queen snaps in a deep blaming voice. Emma shakes her head in disbelief. This is not Regina speaking. Not the Regina from today anyway.

'My God Regina! Haven't we sorted this out already!?'

'You and your vile family... selfish...' Regina spits. And she attacks again.

Emma bursts with energy, instinctively shielding herself with magic.

'You're no match for me Princess. Give up while you can, I will not hesitate to kill you if you get in my way.'

Emma is startled. 'Let me help you!' she pleads, gathering magic in her hands in order to hit back. 'You need help. We can work this out, come on!'

Regina's head is spinning fiercely. Anger is ravenously eating at her. Emma's voice sounds like a shriek in her ears and her magic is less and less under control. She _has_ to get rid of Emma Swan. That's what the voice in her mind is telling her. But somehow, her body refuses to act on it. She is paralysed, torn apart by those contradictory feelings. A sharp pain in her chest brings tears to her eyes but she doesn't flinch. She stares at the woman who is destined to be her undoing. Emma notices the hesitation and decides to use it at her advantage. She blasts her light magic at Regina who is thrown at the opposite wall in a loud thud. The Queen does her best to regain composure as quickly as possible.

'Don't you dare use what I taught you against me...'

Rage manifests itself physically now as purple volutes of pure magic spin frantically around her. She's taken her decision: Emma Swan will pay.

At that very moment, the door slams open and two figures come in the room running. The Charmings. Regina growls, and glares at them. Now is not a good time.

'Emma!? Did you find him?! Regina...' Snow stops. David is frozen behind her, his hand on the pommel of his sword. 'Emma what is happening?'

'Don't worry Mom, Regina and I are having a little talk here.'

'Emma...?' David doesn't even try to hide his concern. _Pathetic _Regina thinks.

'Go Dad. Mom. Go search the mansion, and the woods, and the mine.'

'But...' Snow begins but her daughter interrupts her.

'Mom just go. I'll take care of Regina.'

'Yes Mommy go.' the Queen teases.

Snow looks at her step mother with mix of pity and blame. It is too much for Regina who waves her hand at her, using magic to force her and her husband out of the room. But Emma reacts quickly enough to shield her parents with her own powers. David instinctively pulls out his sword.

'No! David! Go! Please...' Emma gives them an insisting look.

But the Charmings don't move at all. They look suspiciously at Regina, a frown of concern on both their faces.

'Where is Henry, Regina?' Snow seems to understand that something really _is _wrong.

'Your daughter asked you to go OUT!' Regina accompanies her words with a corresponding gesture and this time, Emma has no time to do anything. Snow and David are propelled out of the room, the door slamming shut in front of them. The two of them start protesting loudly, pounding on the door. Emma screams at them to go look for her son, and silence eventually settles back.

'So, where were we?' Regina's lips curl in a defiant smirk. 'It's just you and me now.'

'Regina, I don't know what the hell has happened to you to upset you like this but I am _not_ your enemy.' Emma attempts a step toward the Queen who immediately raises her hands in front of her as a warning.

'You are my undoing. It was written before you were even born Emma. Don't you see?! Whatever you do to help, whatever I do to change, it always leads us to the end of Regina Mills. It is our fate to fight until one of us loses everything.'

'Huh?! What are you talking about?! I was destined to break the curse that's all! Where are you getting this idea that I want to destroy _you_?'

Regina's mind is slowly blurred by parasites thoughts. _Kill her_, the voice says. _It is now or never... She will be your undoing... She's dangerous..._

'You're dangerous!' Purple smoke radiates in the room. Regina's sight is distorted and all she can see is Emma's figure cautiously coming closer.

'Stay back!' Regina shoots a fireball at the moving figure. Her chest hurts like never before.

She can hear Emma say her name.

'Breathe Regina, it'll be alright. Look at me Regina! Breathe!'

But she can't breathe. She retreats in the closest corner of the room, she cringes against the wall, but she still can't breathe.

'Stay... back...' she pants. 'I'll... kill you...'

'You don't mean it. I know you don't...' Emma is almost touching her now. 'Where is Henry?'

_Now... NOW! DO IT! _the voice yells. But Regina just can't move. She tries to focus on her magic. If she gets rid of Emma Swan now, everything will be over, everything will be fine. But every time she makes the decision to act, an invisible hand stabs her heart with utter violence.

Suddenly Emma hand is on her arm. She shivers at the contact.

'Regina? Are you okay?...'

_KILL HER_

Without thinking further, Regina shoves her hand inside Emma's chest and grabs her heart. The sea-green eyes of the blond widen is shock.

'What...?'

Regina's grip tightens around Emma's heart.

'There can't be two of us... ' She notices a tear rolling on her own cheek. But Emma's eyes are not wet, they're full of questions.

'Why?' She says.

'I'm sorry...' But it's too late. Regina's hand crushes the fragile heart. A second later, the longest second of Regina's life, Emma's eyes are empty. She's dead.

Regina's mind is now crystal clear. All sign of magic have left the room and she's still here, standing against the wall, her hand in Emma Swan's chest, Emma's inanimate body resting on hers. It's over. No more voice in her head. No more rage.

'Mom?!'

Henry's voice echoes in the corridor.

'Mom where are you?'

_No... Henry no, don't come over here, _she thinks but she is petrified. What has she done?! What happened?

Then Henry's face appears in the frame of the door.

'Ma?' he steps forwards. Now he can fully see the scene.

'Mom? What have you done?' His eyes are full of tears and his voice trembles. 'Is Emma alright?'

'Henry...' She manages to whisper.

But she is still petrified.

Snow and David come in running. 'Henry, wait! What... Oh my god!' David grabs Henry by the wrist and pulls him against his chest so he can't see anything anymore.

Snow is speechless; she is horrified at the sight of her daughter's corpse.

'David, take Henry outside.'

David doesn't argue and drags the boy out of the room. Regina can hear her son cry. 'Let me go!' he shouts. 'I want to see Emma!' But David doesn't give in.

Snow walks to the door, cautiously, as if every step is painful, and she closes it. She turns around, slowly, and looks right into Regina's eyes.

'What did you do?' It's not really a question, it's more of an accusation.

'I'm ... sorry...' Regina is really crying now.

'Let her go.'

'I... I can't.' Regina sobs. She tries to move but every attempt makes her feel sick.

Her step daughter walks calmly toward her then reaches for her arm, the arm that is still sunk in Emma chest. Snow catches Regina's wrist and pulls it out carefully. As soon as the hand is out, Emma's body collapses. Snow settles her on the ground while Regina slides gradually along the wall and to the floor. She is crying her eyes out. 'Henry...' she breathes. 'What have I done...Emma...'

'There is still a chance.' Snow remains amazingly calm.

Regina looks at her, not getting Snow's point at all.

'Share your heart.'

'It's never going to work.'

'It worked with David and I.'

'But you guys are each other's true love...'

'It the only way you can win Henry back.'

Regina doesn't manage to think. Snow's words echoes in her empty mind as she reaches for her own chest. She takes her heart out and gasps at the view. It is pitch black. No trace of goodness left at all. Snow looks worried but she nods to Regina.

'Go on.'

And Regina splits her heart in two. It's the most painful sensation she's ever felt. She shoves one part in Emma's chest and shoves the other back in her own.

Snow looks at her with a satisfied smirk. Regina's sight gets blurry, her head spins as she collapses on the floor next to Emma.

'I'll tell Henry that you sacrificed yourself to repair the damage.' Snow tells Regina.

But Regina is already gone. And Emma is never coming back.

'I'll take care of your son darling.' She caresses Emma's cheek and closes her eyes. Then stands up and walks out, allowing Henry to run to his mothers. He lets out a dreadful shriek and hugs his mothers' dead body. 'What happened?!' he yells. 'Please come back... COME BACK.'

Snow shakes negatively her head at David, who hugs her tight and sobs silently.

'It's over. It's time to turn the last page of this story, and start a new book.'


End file.
